Rare purple sea snail washed ashore on Southern California beach

Oceanographer Anya Štajner was recently enjoying a sunset walk along the La Jolla Shores beach when a vibrant violet pop of color caught her eye in the sand.

She got down on her hands and knees and was astonished to realize she had stumbled upon a rare species of sea snail, Janthina.

These creatures, more commonly known as violet snails, are distinguished by their striking purple shell and the…